James goodfellow



(No Model.)

J. GOODFELLOW. SWITCH MOVER.

No. 509,870. Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

UNITED j STATES PATENT OFFI E.

' JAMES GOODFELLOW, OF NEW YORK, n.

SWITCH-MOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,370, date November28,1893.

Applicationfiled December 23,1892. serum. 456.127. (No model.) r v v Toall whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, JAMES GOODFELLOW, of New York city, county and Stateof New York, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwitch-Movers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

Myinvention hasrelation to means foreffecting the movement or adjustmentof railway switches from a position on the moving car.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, cheap'andeffective mechanism, by the use of which the driver or other person onthe car may instantly and easily move the switch, either to the right orleft, as may be desired, without stopping or slacking the speed, andwithout leaving the car and employing a single piece horizontallyarranged, bent or forked lever on either end of the 'car to accomplishthe required movement of the switch in either direction. To provide allof this and to secure other and further advantages in the matters ofconstruction, application, operation and use, my improvementsinvolvecertain new and useful arrangements or combinations of parts andpeculiar features of construction, as will be herein first fullydescribed and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1. is a plan view showing a portion of one end ofthe car-frame, with my improved lever mounted thereon and showing, also,a portion of the roadway with a switch and central platform. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation showing the construction of the switch mover and themanner of applying it.

In both figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicatecorresponding parts.

A A represent the longitudinal car timbers and B B the car wheels of anyordinary street car.

C C are the main tracks and D D the side tracks.

E is a switch tongue, the location of which determines the direction oftravel of the car, whether to continue upon the main track or to proceedupon the branch or side track. The

ient.

switch tongue is moved by direct counection 'of any sort with a tiltingplatform F, located The platform F and, therefore, the switchtongue maybe moved by the'weight of' the draft animals or by jumping upon it, asis the usual custom, but to move it from the car, in either-directionrequired, is the chief purpose of my invention, and to do this with asingle lever I employ the following mechanism.

G is a short post or standard, like a cranepost, the same beingsustained in a vertical po sition between the central car timbers orinthe center of the platformportion of the car between two bearing platesH H, which are firmly secured in place above and below the timbers.These platesH H are perforated to receive the ends of the post, which isfree to turn about a vertical axis.

I is a single-piece, horizontally-arranged, bent or forked foot-lever,the upper portion of which carries a foot-piece and in the lower portionof which is mounted a friction wheel, as b, but the foot-piece and thefriction wheel are not necessary, although they are conven- This leveris pivoted in a vertical slot formed in post G, the pivot or axis,represented at 0, being horizontal. A vertically arranged spiral springKis employed to maintain the lever up or clear of the road bed. Thisspring may conveniently be attached atone end to the plate 11 and at theother to a projection, as at d, on the lever. Ordinarily the leverrides, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 1, near the central lineof the car. Upon approaching the platform of the switch, the driver,with his foot, moves the lever to the right or left, according to thecourse he wishes the car to run, and then presses down. The wheel orlower portion of the lever tips the platform and thus the switch ismoved. Upon releasing the lever the spring K operates to raise it fromthe road bed. I

Only one of the improved levers is required at either end of the car,instead of two and sometimes four, as heretofore required. Thisreduction in the number of operating levers is important because,frequently, the car platform becomes crowded and the levers are notaccessibleand again too manyof them confuse the operator incases-requiring instant application to avoid accidents.

The device is simple and well calculated to answer the purposes orobjects of the invention referred to.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In a switch mover, a single-piece, horizontally-arranged, bent orforked foot-lever mounted upon a car frame and combined with verticaland horizontal axes upon which it is free to move or be moved verticallyand horizontally toward either side of the car to tip the switchplatform, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a switch mover, the combination of the single-piece,horizontally-arranged, bent or forked foot-lever, the vertical vibratorypost, the horizontal axis passing through said lever and post, and avertically-arranged spiralspring connected with the inner end of saidlever, the parts being mounted upon a car and arranged for operation,substantiallyas shown and for the purposes set forth. 7

3. In a switch-mover, the combination of the single-piece,horizontally-arranged, bent or forked foot-lever I, thevertically-slotted post G, the horizontal pivot or axis 0, the upper andlower bearing-plates H H, and the vertically-arranged spiral-spring K,having its upper and lower ends respectively attached to a projectionformed on the inner portion of said lever and to the lower one of saidbearing-plates, all arranged and mounted substantially as shown anddescribed,

In testimony that I claim-the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

JAMES GOODFELLOW. Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, WORTH OSGOOD.

